Switched FROM Windows Phone? What are you missing most?

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vishwas_prabhu

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I frequently switch between RedmiNote and 640xl. Redmi Note lags sometimes even with 2 gigs of RAM. I miss Glance, double tap to wakeup, live tiles, Core Music Player, NexGen reader when using Redmi Note. WP/WM may not be having too many apps. But existing apps are superior. Where in play store you have hundreds of music players but most of them are useless/ filled with ads. I can use Android for max one week. Then I again switch back to 640xl :p
 

ShaneRay

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I'm actually thinking of moving to Android via LG G4... still thinking if I wait it out or not, just getting tired of waiting for Windows 10 mobile to mature fast enough and catch up with the apps gap

The G4 has been a great experience. Easily one of the best Androids out there at the moment. Sounds like the G5 is just around the corner.

About the app gap: Not only is it the lack of apps, but it's also the quality. I wasn't prepared for how much better the apps were on android compared to their WP counterparts (if they exist). I moved to Android for the lack of apps, but the quality has been a bonus. I don't see MS overcoming these hurdles anytime soon, if at all.

Anyway...off topic. Sorry.
 

slivy58

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Moved to an LG G4 in December from an 830. The only thing I'm missing is an app: nextgen reader. Haven't been able to find a good alternative.

Other than that, I'm not missing much of anything.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

Exact same move for me too although I still use my 1020 for work with the 830 relegated to the "soon to be defunct" drawer, so I guess in essence we are not missing much at the moment but gained immensely after acquiring the LG G4... OK if it came down to it maaaybe the live tiles but that's stretching things.
 
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syscrh

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First of: I don't use any Microsoft Account based services on my Lumia 730 other than the Windows Store. I'm also very open-minded and I would switch to another platform in a heartbeat if I'd find something better-suited for my needs. [I've been a Linux user from 2010 to 2015 and used several different Linux distros and even tried making a hackintosh out of a Lenovo ThinkPad X230 (non tablet)]

Some examples how I try to avoid vendor lock-in:
- Contact/Calendar syncing: ownDrive as the backend
- Bookmarks: Xmarks is my friend (I use Edge on all Windows devices, but don't want to get locked into the MS ecosystem)
- Mail: Zoho Mail and PGP is my backend of choice (frontend: preinstalled Email application + OpenPGP for Windows Phone)
- Passwords: KeePass as my backend (frontend: WinPass on my Lumia 730 and KeePass 2 on my laptop)
- News: feedly as the backend (NextGen Reader as the frontend)
- File syncing: BitTorrent Sync (sadly I have to manually sync my Windows Phone files because BitTorrent Sync is not allowed to access my phone's storage and to run in the background)
- Notes: Wunderlist, OneNote
- Messaging: Telegram, Skype (sometimes Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp)


I own three phones at the moment: Nokia Lumia 730, bq Aquaris X5, Samsung Galaxy S3 and I prefer my Windows 10 Mobile device over both Android devices (the bq is running nearly vanilla Android 5.1.1 and should be running 6.0 within the next months; Galaxy S3 is running stock Android 4.3).

I don't exactly know why this is that I like Windows Mobile ...
My main factor are the Live Tiles. They are amazing!
Android's static icons are really boring and my home screens always have a lot of unused blank space or look cobbled together.
On Windows 10 Mobile every millimeter is used space and gives me animated information generated by the installed applications. Haven't seen such a great concept on any other (mobile) platform (be it Ubuntu, Android, iOS, Sailfish OS, whatever you call it ...)!
Live Tiles work great on convertible laptops, too. They fit perfectly with my ThinkPad X230t.

Somehow when I use an Android device I feel like I'm using an OS that does not really fit onto a mobile device. When I use a Windows Mobile device it feels like the OS that's better suited for phones.

The second thing I miss with Android are the poorly programmed applications :p Tapatalk as an example (to be honest, I don't like the Android version either ...)
 

vishwas_prabhu

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I don't exactly know why this is that I like Windows Mobile ...
My main factor are the Live Tiles. They are amazing!
Android's static icons are really boring and my home screens always have a lot of unused blank space or look cobbled together.
On Windows 10 Mobile every millimeter is used space and gives me animated information generated by the installed applications. Haven't seen such a great concept on any other (mobile) platform (be it Ubuntu, Android, iOS, Sailfish OS, whatever you call it ...)!
Live Tiles work great on convertible laptops, too. They fit perfectly with my ThinkPad X230t.

Somehow when I use an Android device I feel like I'm using an OS that does not really fit onto a mobile device. When I use a Windows Mobile device it feels like the OS that's better suited for phones.

Exactly how I feel
 

ShaneRay

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I thought I'd miss the start screen with its live tiles when I was considering the switch, but when I really thought about it I realized the tiles were much more form than function. That is, only one or two tiles had any genuine use for me: Weather is the only one that comes to mind at the moment. All others generally required me to go into the app anyway or to wait for the tile to cycle through some info...which meant it was quicker to just open the app. Then we had the introduction of Action Center which duplicated some of the tiles' functions.

And I was right....don't miss them at all. But, that's just me. They certainly add a unique look to the home screen--which I guess could be a good enough reason to miss them-- but that's about it.

To each is own, though. :)
 

TLRtheory

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I frequently switch between my Lumia 950, Nexus 5 and iPhone 5.

It's never long lived either. Soon as I get that Apple itch, I'm immediately reminded why it's not my daily driver. I don't like the camera app on iPhone, Siri just doesn't get it right like Cortana does, and since there's so little I can control on the platform as far as widgets/quick access goes, "the most user friendly smartphone" is actually more work for me... also the one day battery life just doesn't cut it after being exposed to so many Windows Phones that give me 1.5-2 days without some monstrous case.

Since I actually was originally an android fanatic, I have a lot of time and money invested into the Play Store. Most of that's due to the Xperia Play, though I do also have a Nexus 5. I won't make a big stink about crashing on Android because; while I still catch hell from ANRs with my always-up-to-date Nexus 5, they aren't as frequent as they used to be. My problem is with efficiency and lack of a complete ecosystem.
 

tohoshinki

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Its always the little things that I end up missing. I have never found an android keyboard that comes close to what's on WP8.1. I also always find myself missing the SMS app when I use android. The windows phone app is so clean and quick. I get no lag loading up nearly 5 years of SMS but on android it normally struggles loading conversations over 6 weeks.

Nothing will ever replace Nokia Pro Camera Either. I wish my DSLR used the same straightforward interface.
 

tweet2nowhere

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I went to purchase a backup l640 from wallyworld for $30, and came home with a new ZTE Zmax2 yesterday for $79 also.
I installed Microsoft office, Skype, and MS arrow launcher. Oh yeah, Cortana too. Im going all MS as much as possible removing scroogled apps. I'll be playing around with this until the fall, I think. I am not waiting in a surface phone, but if there was ever a best time to try out Android, this pause in available WP devices is it.
I do have my 640 to keep up with W10, and I think the Android testbwill give me a more qualified perspective.
 

madapo

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Come on guys i have Microsoft Lumia 950 xl and Oneplus 2 64gb.
NOW android phone is 10000% better than Lumia 950xl.
With android now i have cortana, perfect version for skype (not awful WP10 skype), Perfect Outlook app and Amazing version for Microsoft Office.
So now my first phone AND CHOICE is Android (Yes i know. :( BUT 950XL is nothing special, NO PREMIUM DEVICE and Without apps. For 950xl i love only good Photos and amazing Cortana. Only this. The design is not good.)
 

MikeSo

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What I miss, in Android:

The excellent tile layout.
The live tiles
The action center with customizable shortcuts
Groove music app (the Android one sucks)
Cortana's natural voice interaction and BT integration
Bing rewards integration
The app list with letter search

Plus small things here and there..
 

rastanac

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Alas I tried with Windows phone, for so long, have been back n forth from iOS to WP, but now I have leapt across to Android and the only thing I miss is the Live tiles and pin to home from pretty much anywhere, always thought android was laggy, but even iOS is laggy if you don't own the latest and greatest extremely expensive iPhone, Android seems to have improved so much recently, with so much more to give, the freedom to do what you want and change what you want, really makes the device feel yours. I may get another Lumia 640 if I see one cheap, just to see what the windows 10 development is doing, but the app gap and lack of google services and the amazing fact that all Microsoft apps are by far better on iOS and Android, tells me missing one feature really doesn't justify sticking with windows phone, shame really. A platform needs developers on board to survive, be it gaming machines, phones etc...and Windows phones tries but just doesn't come through each time, will be sad to see windows phones die a death.

I'm in the same boat in terms of your thoughts around reasons of potentially jumping to iOS or Android. It's really a shame - Windows 10 mobile has a promise but you can only wait for too long :(
 

rastanac

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It's interesting to see that a lot of those who responded to my question, and who have switched to Android, are using LG G4 which is the one I'm planning to get :)
 

mariusmuntean

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Moved to IOS. I really do miss my 1520 on 8.1. Not because my iphone is not fast, but simply because WP was different, it had that wow factor somehow. But again, I am talking about WP 8.1. I will never miss W10Mobile, never, it's the worst OS I've ever seen, I cannot believe MS could produce such a joke. I mean I do believe, it was the same with WP7, a joke.
 

greynightshirt

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I've switched to an iPhone 5s very recently and the only thing I miss is Glance. On the whole the experience is so much better on iOS than the Lumia 950 XL was for me, it's astonishing. I loved loved LOVED Windows Phone 8.1 but the hilariously horrible Windows 10 Mobile experience on the 950 XL and Microsoft's attitude made me leave WP for now, and I couldn't be happier. Don't know if I'll come back when the Surface Phone comes out
 

Tips_y

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I moved from Android to WP and I miss the slow or non_existent updates. And I also miss the virus infection - I got infected twice while I was in Android.. LOL! Oh, by the way, I love W10M.
 
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